Hydraulic demonstrator for oil filtering action



May 14, 1968 l... D. COUCH .HYDRAULIC DEMONSTRATOR FOR OIL FILTERING ACTION Filed Aug. 8. 1966 raw e4 515823 a7 seyn) a5 #al INVENTOR LARRY 0. coucH AGENT United States Patent O 3,382,593 HYDRAULIC DEMNSTRATOR 'FOR OIL FILTERNG ACTION Larry D. Couch, 724 S. Hindry Ave., Apt. 6, Inglewood, Calif. 96301 Filed Aug. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 579,902 9 Claims. (Cl. 315-49) This invention relates to educational demonstration devices and more particularly to a hydraulic demonstrator for oil filtering action.

In the educational and sales fields it is sometimes desirable to illustrate the operation of certain apparatus and certain technological phenomena through instrumentalities by which a more clear understanding of the eects achieved and operation of the apparatus can be demonstrated.

For example, in automotive equipment sales activity the capabilities of certain automotive accessories can best be shown by providing some simulated means by which the functioning of a particular accessory is exemplified.

There are some accessory devices in use on automobiles which in their normal environment are not readily observable as to the functioning thereof. Either such devices are encased in opaque closures or are so deeply embedded in the inner reaches of the motor equipment as not to be accessible.

It is therefore extremely diflicult for a sales person, or, for that matter, a teacher engaged in instruction of others in the operation of these accessories, to clearly show the operating characteristics and inner structure of the accessory device in question. While a static picture, or a series of static pictures may depict the several stages of action in such accessories it will be far more effective, and is indeed an asset to the selling of such accessories, to provide a clear, directly visible indication of these otherwise obscure operations and functions dynamically in a relatively realistic simulation of the apparatus in a small scale simulator.

This invention particularly contemplates a variety of devices by which to illustrate theaction of oil filtering equipment of the type which utilizes rolled-up long ribbons of highly absorbent tissue paper of the soft fibrous type as the medium through which the dirty oil is forced prior to being returned to the equipment through which the oil circulates. Such filtering devices are known but there is no instrument by which the actual cleaning of theoil can be shown. Y

The devices of this invention incorporate areas in which to insert rolled-up tissue strips that are part of a hydraulic system path at one end of which, before the rolled-up tissue strip, contaminated oil can be inserted, and at the other end of which', after the contaminated oil has been forced under pressure through the rolled-up tissue, clear oil, free of the contamination, emerges.

In each of the several embodiments of the invention a removable plunger is provided which, when in its place, is sealedly movable into the path so as to act as a piston forcing the contaminated oil through the filtering roll of soft, fibrous rolled-up tissue. All of the components of the demonstration apparatus, according to this invention, arefabricated from clear acrylic, or similar plastic materials so as to permit all of the action going on inside the apparatus to be clearly visible while the demonstration, or instruction, is in progress. K

In one embodiment of the hydraulic demonstrator of filtering action, according to this invention a linear cylinder is employed in which the previously described removable plunger is at the input end thereof, the ltering area is in the central portion and there follows a terminal reservoir end into which the clear fluid emerges after the dirty form has been poured into the input end and forced 3,332,593 Patented May 14, 1968 through the central portion to the terminal reservoir end by the plunger which is inserted after the contaminated fluid has been placed in the apparatus.

In another embodiment the respective input and terminal portions of the apparatus are positioned on either side of the filtering central portion and there is communication between the input and filtering central portion and between the central portion and terminal reservoir portion respectively forming a continuous hydraulic path as in the previously described linear cylinder device.

In a third representative embodiment the input portion and filtering portion are in alignment in a single cylinder and the terminal reservoir portion is adjacent the cylinder in communication therewith through the end of the cylidner remote from the input end thereof.

In each instance the plunger is removable to permit the insertion of fluid thereinto and the plunger may be forced back into place to apply the piston-like pressure to the contaminated fiuid forcing it through the system. Alternatively the plunger may be arranged to remain in its respective end of the path fully inserted, the cylinder charged with contaminated iiuid at the reservoir end and the plunger drawn away from the fully inserted position so as to create a relatively lower pressure at that end whereby the contaminated fluid passes through the filter by being drawn therethrough to enter the area under the plunger fully cleared ofthe contaminants.

These embodiments, illustrative of the invention, are more fully described in the specification which follows, and are shown in the drawings. It should be clearly understood that the invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiments shown and described, since, in the light of the teachings herein, those skilled in the arts pertaining thereto will be able to devise other embodiments within the ambit of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the hydraulic demonstrator for oil filtering action according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of another ernbodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of an accessory r device used in conjunction with the embodiment of FIG- URE 3 to provide a re-entrant return path between the input and output chambers ofthe embodiment to charge the fluid with contaminant so that the demonstration may proceed in a relatively closed system.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in crosssection in FIGURE 1. A principal cylinder itl of a clear acrylic plastic has a tightly fitted and movable plunger 11 in the top thereof. Plunger 1 1 has a head 24 larger in diameter than the body of the plunger 11 which remains outside the top of cylinder 10. Near the remote end of movable plunger 11 an O-ring seal 23 is provided that acts to sealably hold plunger 11 in cylinder 1t), at any position to which it may be moved. A bottom closure cap 15 is fixedly inserted in the bottom end of cylinder 10.

. Cap 15 has an enlarged head 16 to limit the extent of insertion into cylinder 16, an O-ring 22 for sealing the cap into cylinder 10, and an elongated central spindle 12 extending for a substantial distance into the inner cavity 14 of cylinder 1?. A soft fiber tissue paper ribbon roll 13 is inserted over spindle 12 in cavity 14. Roll 13 is very tightly and smoothly wound to a diameter such that it very snugly and completely fills the cavity 14.

Adjacent cylinder 10 and outside thereof a reservoir cham-ber 19 is attached. The attachment may be by adhesive means, or chamber 19 and cylinder 16 may be molded as a single entity. A communicating passage 17 is provided in the common wall between cylinder 1G and chamber 19 at a point near the bottom of cylinder just above cap 15. Reservoir 1G is open at the top, as indicated at 21, and sealed at the bottom by a plug 18.

The operation of the device shown in FIGURE l and above-described operates as follows:

Plunger 11 is positioned so as to be fully inserted in the top of cylinder 10. Contaminated oil or other fluid containing of contaminant, such as carbon black or a dyestuff of relatively fine solid particles is inserted into chamber 19 by pouring it into the cavity 2f) through opening 21 until the chamber 19 is full. If plunger 11 is now drawn toward the top of cylinder 10 a lower pressure area is created in cavity 14 in the area at the top of spindle 10 thereby drawing the fluid in cavity through communieating passage 17 into cavity 14. The fluid then seeks to fill the lower pressure area passing through the fibers of paper roll 13 on its way to the top of spindle 12. The fibers entrap the contaminant particles and the fluid emerges in the area above the tissue roll 13 under plunger 11 cleared of the contaminants. All of the above being observed during its entire cycle through the clear plastic of the cylinders 10 and 19.

Conversely, the opening 21 in cylinder 19 may also be plugged up with a plug similar to that shown at 18 so that the only opening into cavity 20 is through communicating passage 17.

Now, if plunger 11 is removed, the cylinder 18 filled with contaminated fluid above paper roll 13, and plunger 11 then re-inserted into cylinder 10 and forced downward the uid will be forced towards cavity 20 and as the fluid passes through roll 13 the contaminants will be trapped in the fibers of the roll 13 so that the fluid entering cavity 2f) of cylinder 19 through passage 17 will emerge thereinto clear and free of contaminants.

In FIGURE 2 an outer cylinder or body 30 has a plunger guide cylinder 31 sealably and fixedly inserted in the top thereof. O-rings 33, 34 aid the sealing thereof. A plunger 32 similar to plunger 11, but longer, is movably inserted in guide 31. Plunger 32 has a head 29 and sealing O-ring 35 similar to the corresponding components 24 and 23 in plunger 11 (FIGURE l). A guide `42 similar to guide 31 is positioned in the bottom of body 30 and is sealed with O-rings 43, 44. A spindle 37 with a stop collar 38 cemented thereto at the bottom end thereof is set on guide 42. Collar 38 is incomplete in part so as to provide space about the bottom end of spindle 37. A bore 39 is provided transversely through a diameter near the end of spindle 37 which tapers to a point thereafter. Another bore 40 is made up through the bottom center of spindle 37 until it meets cross bore 39. A plug 46 closes off the bottom of body 30 fitting snugly into the passage 41 between the tapered bottom of spindle 3-7 and the bottom of passage 41. Guide 42 and plug 46 could be made a single component.

A roll of fiber paper the same as 13 is now wrapped about spindle 37 to tightly fit the space 36 about spindle 37.

The operation of the device shown in FIGURE 2 and described hereinabove may be described as follows:

When plunger 32 is removed fluid may be poured into the chamber 36. When plunger 32 is thereafter reinserted into guide 31 and pressed downward the fluid is forced through the paper roll 13 in chamber 36 entering bore 39 under the incomplete part of collar 38 and flowing out through bore 40 into chamber 41.

As the fluid with contaminant, poured into chamber 316, passes through paper roll 13 the fibers remove the contaminant and the fluid dropping out of bore 40 into chamber 41 is clear.

As before, a converse operation of the device in FIG- URE 2 is possible when the plug 46 is one with guide 42. This is removed and the chamber 41 filled with fluid contaminated as above. During this operation plunger 32 is fully inserted in guide 31. After plug 46 is reinserted, as plunger 32 is withdrawn upward the lower pressure area created draws fluid through bores 40 and 39 into cavity 36 through paper roll 13 into the area above spindle 3-7 where it will lbe clear of contaminants which have been extracted by the fibers in roll 13.

In FIGURE 3 there are three distinct chambers 60, 61 and 62 arrayed side by side. Chamber 60 is the reservoir chamber. Chamber 61 is the filtering chamber and chamber 62 the plunger chamber. Chamber 60 is plugged with a stopper or plug 82 at one end (the top end). O-ring 79 helps seal plug 82 in place. A plug 69 with a closable aperture 70 therein closes the opposite end of cylinder 60. Cylinder 61 is sealed at the bottom end completely by end plug 68. The opposite end is sealed by spindle root 64 from which spindle 63 extends the full length of cylinder 61. O-ring 78 seals spindle root 64 in cylinder 61. Paper roll 65 similar to roll 13 is wrapped about spindle 63. At the top of cylinder 61 an aperture 75-76 communicates with chamber 72 at the top of cylinder 6). At the bottom of cylinder 61 an aperture 73 communicates with chamber 71 in the bottom of cylinder `62.

In cylinder 62 plunger 86 With a head 81 and O-ring 77 performs the same function as the other cylinders 11 and 32 previously described. Cylinder 62 is sealed at the bottom with a plug 66 having a closable opening 67 therein. In one use of the device of FIGURE 3 openings 67 and 70 are plugged. When so plugged, fluid with contaminant may be placed in chamber 72 of cylinder `60 and drawn through aperture 76, '65 through paper roll 65 and aperture 73 into chamber 71 of cylinder 62 as plunger 8f) is drawn outward. The clear fluid enters chamber 71, the contaminants removed in cylinder 61. Similarly and conversely if contaminated fluid is inserted in cylinder 62 on -removal of plunger and then plunger forced down again the contaminated fluid will enter cylinder 61 through aperture 73 in the direction of yarrow 72 passing through fibers of paper roll 65 upward to openings 75, 76 in direction of arrow 74 into chamber 72 cleared of contaminants.

In FIGURE 4 there is shown a recontaminating device 84 which can be used with the last described type of operation. The device 84 is inserted into apertures 70 and 67 by its pipe ends 85, 87 on contaminant pipe 88 therein. Contaminant pipe 88 has particles of the contaminant used in the demonstration applications of the device. When fluid from chamber 72 now clear as in the last described operation enters pipe 88 as indicated by arrow 83 it -re-emerges into chamber 77 with contaminant. This is accomplished by drawing plunger 80 outward, thus sucking fluid from chamber 72 into chamber 71 through pipe 88 filled with contaminant. Plugs 89, 90 seal the ends of device 84. The chamber 91 may hold a substantial length of contaminant pipe 88 in convolute or involute coils.

Three forms of a hydraulic fluid filter demonstrator have been described hereinabove. All three involve means for the insertion therein of a fluid contaminated with particulate matter, means for drawing or forcing the fluid through a filter material of particular character and a chamber to -receive the fluid so drawn through or forced through the filter and now cleared of the contaminant material. The demonstrators are all fabricated of clear transparent materials such as acrylic plastic so that the condition of the fluid can be observed at all stages of the passage through the demonstrator.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A demonstration and teaching aid for illustrating the operation of filtering devices for contaminated fluids, said aid comprising:

means for receiving a quantity of a fluid contaminated with particulate matter so as to have a characteristic dirty appearance;

spindle means; a thin soft fiber paper ribbon tightly wound on said spindle means;

means for receiving decontaminated fluid cleared of its characteristic dirty appearance;

transparent housing means for containing said means for receiving contaminated fluid, said spindle means with said ber paper ribbon wound thereon and said means for receiving decontaminated uid, said three last named means being disposed in said housing means with a continuous fluid path communicating therebetween; and

means operatively disposed in said housing and in said uid path for urging said contaminated fluid from said means for receiving contaminated fluid through said fiber paper ribbon into said means for receiving said decontaminated uid,

the passage of said contaminated fluid through said fiber paper ribbon, under the urge of said means operatively disposed in said housing, resulting in the entrapment of said particulate matter in said ribbon whereby the fluid thus decontaminated enters said means to receive decontaminated iiuid clear and clean, the various stages of passage of said contaminated fluid through said uid path to become decontaminated being observable through said transparent housing means.

2. The aid defined in claim 1 wherein said housing consists of three separate units side by side and said three last named means are arrayed in said housing respectively in said respective three sepa-rate units, and there is included a recontaminating means coupled between said means for receiving said decontaminated fluid and said means for receiving said contaminated fluid so that when said means for urging said contaminated uid is deactivated the decontaminated fluid will be urged back to the contaminated fiuid means through said recontaminating means so as to be available `for a new cycle of operation.

3. The aid defined in claim 1 whereinl said housing consists of three separate units side by side and said three last named means are arrayed in said housing respectively in said respective three separate units.

4. The aid defined in claim l wherein said means operatively disposed in said housing is a plunger adapted to urge said iiuid through said path.

5. The aid deiined in claim 1 wherein said housing is an elongated cylinder and said last three named means are arrayed end for end therein.

6. The aid defined in claim 1 wherein said housing includes two units side by side, one of said units incorporating said means for receiving the decontaminated fluid and said spindle means with said paper ribbon wound thereon, the other of said units incorporating said means for receiving said decontaminated fluid.

7. A teaching aid for demonstrating oil filtering action comprising:

a transparent fluid-tight cylindrical housing;

a plunger means movably and sealedly disposed in one end of said housing;

a spindle means axially disposed in the center of said housing; and

a roll of iibrous tissue paper tightly wound on said spindle and tilling said housing between said spindle and the inner walls of said housing, whereby motion of said plunger in said housing urges uid through said fibrous tissue paper roll, and any particulate impurity in said fluid is deposited on said fibrous tissue in said roll clearing the uid, the action thereof being visible through said transparent housing.

8. The teaching aid defined in claim 7 wherein said housing comprises Ia lplurality of side by side elements coupled together with communicating passages between said elements for the passage of uid therethrough, said elements respectively including said plunger means in one, said spindle and said paper roll in another and a third being free to receive either cleared fluid or contaminated uid depending on the direction of urging imparted by said plunger means.

9. The teaching aid defined in claim 7 wherein there are a plurality of side-by-side elements at least one of which includes both said plunger means and said spindle and paper roll axially aligned, Iand at least one of the others including a clear path for uid either cleared or contaminated depending on the direction of urge of said plunger means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,781,312 2/1957 Klumb et al. 21094 2,790,253 4/ 1957 Ayers 35-49 2,907,121 10/1959 Yelinek et al. 35-13 3,237,770 3/1966 Humbert 210-94 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

H. S. SKOGQUIST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEMONSTRATION AND TEACHING AID FOR ILLUSTRATING THE OPERATION OF FILTERING DEVICES FOR CONTAMINATED FLUIDS, SAID AID COMPRISING: MEANS FOR RECEIVING A QUANTITY OF A FLUID CONTAMINATED WITH PARTICULATE MATTER SO AS TO HAVE A CHARACTERISTIC DIRTY APPEARANCE; SPINDLE MEANS; A THIN SOFT FIBER PAPER RIBBON TIGHTLY WOUND ON SAID SPINDLE MEANS; MEANS FOR RECEIVING DECONTAMINATED FLUID CLEARED OF ITS CHARACTERISTIC DIRTY APPEARANCE; TRANSPARENT HOUSING MEANS FOR CONTAINING SAID MEANS FOR RECEIVING CONTAMINATED FLUID, SAID SPINDLE MEANS WITH SAID FIBER PAPER RIBBON WOUND THEREON AND SAID MEANS FOR RECEIVING DECONTAMINATED FLUID, SAID THREE LAST NAMED MEANS BEING DISPOSED IN SAID HOUSING MEANS WITH A CONTINUOUS FLUID PATH COMMUNICATING THEREBETWEEN; AND MEANS OPERATIVELY DISPOSED IN SAID HOUSING AND IN SAID FLUID PATH FOR URGING SAID CONTAMINATED FLUID FROM SAID MEANS FOR RECEIVING CONTAMINATED FLUID THROUGH SAID FIBER PAPER RIBBON INTO SAID MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID CONTAMINATED FLUID, THE PASSAGE OF SAID CONTAMINATED FLUID THROUGH SAID FIBER PAPER RIBBON, UNDER THE URGE OF SAID MEANS OPERATIVELY DISPOSED IN SAID HOUSING, RESULTING IN THE ENTRAPMENT OF SAID PARTICULATE MATTER IN SAID RIBBON WHEREBY THE FLUID THUS DECONTAMINATED ENTERS SAID MEANS TO RECEIVE DECONTAMINATED FLUID CLEAR AND CLEAN, THE VARIOUS STAGES OF PASSAGE OF SAID CONTAMINATED FLUID THROUGH SAID FLUID PATH TO BECOME DECONTAMINATED BEING OBSERVABLE THROUGH SAID TRANSPARENT HOUSING MEANS. 